Inkstand.



F. M. ASHLEY.

INKSTAND.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 0, 1009.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

we 10- loz LOLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0. WASHINGTON, D. L.

TE fl FRANK M. ASHLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INKSTAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

Application filed November 6, 1909. Serial No. 526,482.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. Asnnnr, citizen of the United States, and aresident of New York city, in the county of Kings and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inkstands, of whichthe following is a speeiflcation.

My invention relates to inkstands of the automatic float type, and hasspecial reference to the construction of the float portion thereof.

The general operation and construction of the present stand is shown inthe prior art and therefore does not require to be specilically setforth herein.

The object of the present invention is to provide a float which may beconstructed at a low cost and which will embody a structure that willnot stick in the body of the stand by reason of the ink drying therein,and also to provide a float which will not sink to the bottom of thestand when the reservoir is filled with ink, will always maintain theproper relative position with respect to the parts of the inkstand withwhich it cooperates.

Most of the stands of this type heretofore used, are provided with afloat made of hard rubber which must be vulcanized in form, and isusually made with an inverted cup, open on its under side, to serve asthe floating element. It has been found in practice that the air in thisinverted cup is gradually absorbed by the ink and permits the float todrop in the stand, thus making the stand inoperative until the float isremoved and air again trapped therein.

Ink contains an acid which rapidly destroys most metals, and the metalson which the ink acts also serves to thicken the ink and render it unfitfor use. It is therefore necessary to select a metal that will not beaffected by the ink, if metal is used in a float, and I have found thatlead and alumni-- num are about the only two available metals that willserve the purpose.

The cup is formed with tapering walls so as to cooperate with thetapering walls of the reservoir.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification,-l igure1, is a cross sectional view through an inkstand containing a float madein accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, is a float having a greaterdisplacement than that shown in Fig. l. 1* lg. 23, is a float in whichthe metal or form is spun over the top of the filling material. 13yreason of the rigid fastening of the cup to the bottom of the tube allexpansion of the buoyant material in a downward direction is avoided.Fig. 4:, is a plan view of the dip tube portion.

A, indicates an inkstand having a reservoir A, in which is fitted aguide ring 13 in the bore 13 of which the top of the dip tube C isguided and abuts against the under side of the flange b when in thehighest position. IV hen the top of the dip tube is made with a planesurface, ink is liable to dry and stick the top of the dip tube to theunder side of the flange at b, and also the outer edge is liable tostick in the bore B from the same cause. To avoid this trouble, Iprovide the top of the dip tube with short projections ()C, etc, spacedaround the top as indicated, which reduces the area of contact to suchan extent as to prevent the parts sticking together. I .also provide aplurality of projections C spaced around the edge of the dip to reducethe area of contact at this point, but may dispense with these if thediameter of the dip is made sufliciently less than that of the bore B toprevent the sticking.

D, indicates the buoyant portion of the float which comprises a cup I)provided with a hole (Z in the center of its bottom. I prefer to makethis cup of spun or drawn brass and then dip same in a lead bath, orotherwise coat with lead to obtain an acid proof surface. I can usealuminum, and also paper dipped in parallin if desired, but it must beformed sullicicntly still' to hold its shape even lhough the fillingmaterial should tend lo swell and distort it.

I prefer to use a cork E as the lilling material and may use ground corksealed together by heat while under compression in a form, and then dipthe cork in hot parailin to seal the pores to prevent the cork fromabsorbing water or moisture and also to prevent the acid of the ink fromattacking the cork and destroying same. The function of the cup I) is topreserve the form of the float.

In Fig. 3, I show a modification in which the top of the metal portionis spun over the top of the filling material to still further protectthe same. Any other filling material of suflicient lightness to floatproperly may be used, but i have found cork to be the most availablematerial in this vicinity.

I claim I l. A float comprising a dip cup having upwardly extendingprojections on its top and of limited area for the purpose specified,and a tube extending from the dip cup to the bottom or" the float, a cupshaped buoyant portion connected to said tube having a filling materialwhich is embraced by the outer wall of said buoyant portion and embracesthe lower end of said tube.

2. In an inkstand, a dip-cup and a tube extending therefrom, a float,comprising a cup opening upward and attached to the lower end of thetube, said cup being formed of impervious material, and a buoyant pen--derable filling within the cup and rendered non absorbent byimpregnation with a non absorbent material.

3. An inkstand comprising a reservoir having a tapering wall, a dip-cupand a tube extending therefrom, and a float consisting of a cup openingupward and attached to the lower end of the tube and a buoyantponderable filling Within the cup, said cup having a tapering exteriorsurface to cooperate with the tapering reservoir,

said buoyant mate ial being confined in said cup and prevented fromexpanding downward, thus maintaining undisturbed the re lation betweenthe tapering exterior wall of the cup and the tapering interior wallofthe reservoir.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New Yorkthis lth day of November A. D. 1909.

FRANK M. ASHLEY.

Witnesses:

H. L. MURnooK, MINNIE S. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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